Regular Dental Hygiene Visits

Brushing and flossing are not enough. A thorough dental hygiene visit every 3-6 months is essential to maintaining your oral health and defending against gum disease.

Our regular visits account for multiple aspects of your medical and oral health:

Dental examination – Regular and comprehensive exams identify dental problems when they are still small and easy to fix.

Laser bacterial reduction – Fights the effects of gum disease and keeps harmful bacteria from spreading to other parts of your mouth and body. Bacterial counts remain low for three months.

Scaling and polishing – Regular dental cleanings allow us to help you keep toxin-producing calculus (tartar) away and remove it from under the gum line — ensuring that both your teeth and gums stay healthy.

Brushing your teeth removes plaque and food particles from the surfaces of your teeth and your tongue. Brush for 5 minutes, twice a day.

An electric toothbrush can cut the required brushing time from 5 minutes to 2 minutes. Ask your dental hygienist about the right type of electric toothbrush for you.

The best kind of toothbrushes are rated as “extra-soft” to be most gentle to your enamel and dentin.

All toothbrushes and electric toothbrush tips require replacement after 3 months.

Watch the video for a demonstration of proper toothbrushing technique.

VIDEO: TOOTHBRUSHING TECHNIQUE

Flossing removes plaque and food particles from between the teeth and under the gum line — where gum disease and cavities often start. Your toothbrush can’t reach these areas, so it’s important to clean them by flossing. 

Floss once a day. It gets easier with practice and only takes a minute. Your dental hygienist can review the techniques and options for flossing to help remove plaque. They can also review rinsing with saline and tea tree oil to improve your gum health.

Watch the video for a demonstration of proper flossing technique.

VIDEO: HOW TO FLOSS

Good habits start early, and kids learn by watching adults.

The best thing you can do is model good dental health habits by taking care of your own teeth and gums as detailed above.

Review our guide to children’s dentistry and be well-prepared to educate your kids about oral health.

Healthy diet makes a big difference to children’s dental health. Follow our healthy snack guide to limit snacks and drinks that contain sugar or carbohydrates.

“Cavity” is the common name for tooth decay, or dental caries. They can be painful and unsightly, but might not be felt at all before they become a much bigger issue. 

If left alone, tooth decay leads to a broken tooth or damaged tooth nerve. To avoid this, the decay must be removed and the cavity is restored with a composite filling.

To prevent cavities, routine brushing and flossing combined with regular dental hygiene visits are critical — and to maintain good dental health for kids, adults, and seniors.

Another key to avoiding cavities is through healthy eating and snacking habits. We even created a healthy snack guide to help you get started!