Dental hygiene instructions

To keep your teeth healthy, it is important to clean them properly. The deposited plaque and tartar (calculus) provide the perfect conditions for certain bacteria that can cause periodontal disease and gingivitis.

To avoid these conditions, adequate cleaning of your teeth and regular professional scaling and polishing are required. Our dental hygienists can help you with these tasks! Our dental hygienists are cooperative and important members of our dental team.

They provide professional assistance to our dentists and also carry out dental hygiene treatments on their own.

The tasks of our dental hygienists are:

• Assessing the state of your gums and teeth during check-ups and recommending treatment options for you.
• Carrying out regular six-monthly scaling and polishing on your teeth is very important in fighting against gingivitis and periodontitis.
• Teaching useful tips, advice, and methods to children, adults, and the elderly to support them in improving their brushing and cleaning techniques.
• Carrying out laser and LED light tooth whitening treatments and providing professional advice to support patients' home bleaching.

Learning the correct cleaning techniques, using the right toothbrush, flossing, using interdental brushes, and having regular professional cleaning preserves the health of our teeth and can prevent other diseases such as nodules and heart disease.

Selection of our dental hygienists’ advice:

Brushing with an electric toothbrush
Brush for 2-4 minutes with an electric brush twice a day. Hold the electric brush gently against the teeth and let the brush clean them; don't brush too hard. Gently massage the gums as well.

Move the brush around the teeth, following the gum line. Don't miss any surfaces of the tooth; brush the palatal/lingual and chewing sides as well. Don't push the brush too hard; let it work on its own. Electric toothbrush recommended by our surgery: Philips Sonicare.

Brushing with a manual toothbrush
The adequate time for brushing is 4-6 minutes twice a day. Hold the toothbrush gently and massage the teeth rather than scrubbing them:

• Labial surface (the surface towards the lip):
  Cyclic cleaning technique can be used on the labial surface of the teeth. It is important to massage the gums as well as the teeth to effectively remove debris.
  
  
• Inside surface (towards the tongue on lower teeth and the palate on upper ones):
  "Sweeping" movement is the cleaning technique for the inside surface of teeth. Place the brush on the gum margin of molar teeth and sweep the debris from the gums towards the teeth.
  
  This technique helps prevent gum recession caused by scrubbing the teeth from left to right. The inside surface of incisors and canines should be brushed with a vertical movement, cleaning the teeth from the gum margin towards the edge of the teeth.
  
  
• Chewing surface:
  Clean the chewing surfaces of molar teeth with a cyclic and scrubbing movement (scrubbing is only allowed on the chewing surface, but there is no need to apply too much pressure). Don't forget about the back surface of your last teeth or the teeth next to gaps, as they also have free surfaces without neighboring teeth.
  
  

Scaling, tartar (calculus) removal

Gingivitis caused by tartar and plaque is very common. However, although it may not initially seem serious, it can eventually lead to tooth loss. You can prevent bigger problems by having regular scaling and treating gingivitis.

To avoid tartar buildup, regular professional scaling is the best course of action. Tartar forms from debris that remain on the teeth, sometimes for a short period and sometimes for a long time. 

Tartar must be removed as it provides an adequate environment for bacteria that can cause gum bleeding and periodontitis. Regular scaling helps prevent loose teeth or the loss of healthy teeth that are not decayed but are affected by periodontal disease (meaning there is no structure to hold them in place).

Scaling also helps prevent tooth discoloration caused by tartar and bad breath.

Our laser treatments do not involve the removal of previous fillings, and in some cases, anesthetic injections are required. The different advantages of laser dental treatments are experienced to varying extents at different stages of the treatment. We aim to provide painless treatments in a calm environment.

We are looking forward to seeing you at our surgery!

Seek the help of our dental hygienist colleagues to have your teeth cleaned and professionally cared for. The experienced, prepared, and kind members of our team are happy to help you and provide dental hygiene treatments with the best of their competence, care, and attention.